Russia
Apr 2, 2013 1:44:29 GMT
Post by waterhazardjack on Apr 2, 2013 1:44:29 GMT
Here is a report I furnished in 'another domain' after completing a trip to Russia in May 2007...seeing as there is very little Russian info around here, maybe it will kick-start a few contributions...
RUSSIA - MAY 2007
First of all, heartfelt thanks to all who helped me out with info during the build-up to this trip (particularly Ruth/Everbrite who never ceases to amaze)...while the info is still fresh I'd like to post some logistical stuff which may be of help to others...
Tallinn-St Petersburg...Eurolines bus...cost 320EEK (approx €21)...6/7 per day, including 23.00 and 23.59...journey time approx 7 hours...
St Petersburg accom...Nord Hostel...cost €24/night...quite expensive for a hostel but unbeatable location makes up for this...includes breakfast (all day!) plus tea/coffee/cookies/filtered water always available and free internet...very secure place...big rooms plus washing and kitchen facilities on each floor...registered my visa for free although not sourced with them but this may have been an oversight....easy access day and very late at night...there have been some critical reports of this place of late but all was good during my stay there; in particular, Katja is very efficient and helpful...
Walking Tour...Peter's Walks...every morning at 10.30am from the HI St Petersburg hostel....great 6 hour dig around St P's less obvious spots with the very entertaining and off-beat Dmitri...costs 430R and can vary in length from 3-6 hours apparently...worth every penny...
Hermitage Museum...for those of you on a tight budget, the Hermitage is free to individual visitors on the first Thursday of every month...
Peter & Paul fortress...tickets are valid for 10 days so you can come and go here whenever it suits you to visit all the exhibits...plus city centre beach...
4am Speed-boat ride on the Neva...cost 2000R...half-hour plunging in and out of every nook and cranny of the Neva, various canals and harbour at hair-raising speeds (don't ask anymore!)...
Peterhof Gardens...entrance 300R gets you into the lower gardens and fountains area where you want to be...you can still nip in-and-out to avail of the various stalls and kiosks which sell cheap food and drink on the way-in so this needn't be an expensive day out...particularly as those that paid the extra into the palace didn't seem to view it as value for money...
Hydrofoil to Peterhof...costs 300R...boats every 20 minutes from Hermitage waterfront...better deal if you book return journey as well (450R return???) but if you do this you have to stipulate what boat you are taking back...I got there for 34R (ie 14R metro to 'Avtovo' and then 20R mashrutka)...
Food Tip...Troitsky Most self-service restaurants...a number of these dotted around the city where you can get good quality platefuls of lasagne, salads and vegetarian stuff and drinks for very little...
Bus from St P to Novgorod...cost 250R...plenty every day including 11.00, 12.05 and 13.00...journey time 3 hours 20 minutes...very good bistro/canteen at bus station to fill up before you leave...
Novgorod accom...Hotel Kruis...370R/night plus 100R compulsory registration...no sign over door but 5 minutes walk from tourist office down Ul. Prusskaya on left...good place, friendly staff but no English spoken...no breakfast...interestingly my room was rented for 24 hours so I had it til 6pm the following day which was very useful...
River Cruise on Volkhov river to Lake Ilmen and back...cost 150R...lasts one hour and a half...highly recommended, great views of the river, lake, monasteries and Novgorod Kremlin...
Tourist office here is very good, English spoken, they even managed to get my train ticket changed with very little difficulty...
Beer/Food tip...'The Beerhouse' on Ul. Lyudogoshcha serves good drink and snacks in a convibial setting...ideal for football, I watched the Champion's League final here amidst a very partisan and friendly local crowd...also decent make-shift bar on the bridge in the middle of town...
Night Train...Novgorod - Moscow...20.50 - 04.54...train *42...cost 568R platzkartney (3rd class)...very good train...
Moscow accom...Napoleon hostel...great location, 5 minutes from Red Square...630R/night...cheerful place run by English ex-pat Richard who knows exactly what he's trying to do here...no breakfast...very secure...free internet...laundry 200R/load...common room doubles as bar at night which means the place can be a bit 'cliquey' as those that are there for several days are inclined to get very comfortable...bit of a party atmosphere, most suitable for 20-somethings...
Capital Tour of Kremlin and Armory...costs 1400R...3 hours...quite expensive but tour-guide Felix was excellent and entertaining and has an exhaustive knowledge of Russian history, art and literature...one thing to bear in mind if you take this tour is that as the tour finishes at the Armory you must vacate the Kremlin complex afterwards...I had intended the tour as a primer to then go back and investigate the place at my own pace but unfortunately this wasn't possible...
Moscow River boat trip...cost 250R (Monday)...very pleasant one and a half hours particularly during the extraordinary heat wave of 10 days ago...I think the week and week-end price are now the same...
Food Tip...'My-My'...pronouned Moo-Moo...great restaurant deal here....you can pick your own meals from those displayed and get stuffed (literally)for 300R...tasteful suroundings too...the place where Russians go to treat themselves...approx 20 outlets all over the city...
Night Train...Moscow - Pskov...20.10 - 08.30...cost 493R...high-numbered train...also lower number leaving at 19.35, presumably dearer...
Pskov accom...Komnaty Otdykhy (Station rest-room)...cost 350R for 24 hours, a great deal...had to show a train ticket but the one I arrived on was acceptable, not sure if that was a mistake or not but I got in...very high standard with en-suite...had to share with one other person...best room I had on this trip...lock-out however between 23.00 and 06.00.
Food tip...Cafe Gorenka on ul. Oktyabrsky...good place to fill up with pizza, great cakes and coffee..ate here for less that 120R...
Eurolines Night bus...Pskov - Riga...740R...2 buses at 00.05 and 00.35...journey approx 7 hours...
To conclude...I got my visa support from/through WaytoRussia.net...very efficient 24 hour service...cost 30USD...registered twice in St and Nov...stayed over 2 business days in Moscow but no trouble on the way out...
Most pleasant surprise... travelling platzkartney...in both cases the carriage was full of ordinary decent Russian families going about thei business...2 Russian girls told me they always travel this way and feel safer than Kupe...great way to meet people...bring some beer or wine...
Last Word...beware of lousy service at every turn...concept of the customer doen't exist as we know it...give yourself plenty of time for even the simplest transaction...I found shouting back in English at those who shouted at me actually worked and got me a proper hearing some of the time...
RUSSIA - MAY 2007
First of all, heartfelt thanks to all who helped me out with info during the build-up to this trip (particularly Ruth/Everbrite who never ceases to amaze)...while the info is still fresh I'd like to post some logistical stuff which may be of help to others...
Tallinn-St Petersburg...Eurolines bus...cost 320EEK (approx €21)...6/7 per day, including 23.00 and 23.59...journey time approx 7 hours...
St Petersburg accom...Nord Hostel...cost €24/night...quite expensive for a hostel but unbeatable location makes up for this...includes breakfast (all day!) plus tea/coffee/cookies/filtered water always available and free internet...very secure place...big rooms plus washing and kitchen facilities on each floor...registered my visa for free although not sourced with them but this may have been an oversight....easy access day and very late at night...there have been some critical reports of this place of late but all was good during my stay there; in particular, Katja is very efficient and helpful...
Walking Tour...Peter's Walks...every morning at 10.30am from the HI St Petersburg hostel....great 6 hour dig around St P's less obvious spots with the very entertaining and off-beat Dmitri...costs 430R and can vary in length from 3-6 hours apparently...worth every penny...
Hermitage Museum...for those of you on a tight budget, the Hermitage is free to individual visitors on the first Thursday of every month...
Peter & Paul fortress...tickets are valid for 10 days so you can come and go here whenever it suits you to visit all the exhibits...plus city centre beach...
4am Speed-boat ride on the Neva...cost 2000R...half-hour plunging in and out of every nook and cranny of the Neva, various canals and harbour at hair-raising speeds (don't ask anymore!)...
Peterhof Gardens...entrance 300R gets you into the lower gardens and fountains area where you want to be...you can still nip in-and-out to avail of the various stalls and kiosks which sell cheap food and drink on the way-in so this needn't be an expensive day out...particularly as those that paid the extra into the palace didn't seem to view it as value for money...
Hydrofoil to Peterhof...costs 300R...boats every 20 minutes from Hermitage waterfront...better deal if you book return journey as well (450R return???) but if you do this you have to stipulate what boat you are taking back...I got there for 34R (ie 14R metro to 'Avtovo' and then 20R mashrutka)...
Food Tip...Troitsky Most self-service restaurants...a number of these dotted around the city where you can get good quality platefuls of lasagne, salads and vegetarian stuff and drinks for very little...
Bus from St P to Novgorod...cost 250R...plenty every day including 11.00, 12.05 and 13.00...journey time 3 hours 20 minutes...very good bistro/canteen at bus station to fill up before you leave...
Novgorod accom...Hotel Kruis...370R/night plus 100R compulsory registration...no sign over door but 5 minutes walk from tourist office down Ul. Prusskaya on left...good place, friendly staff but no English spoken...no breakfast...interestingly my room was rented for 24 hours so I had it til 6pm the following day which was very useful...
River Cruise on Volkhov river to Lake Ilmen and back...cost 150R...lasts one hour and a half...highly recommended, great views of the river, lake, monasteries and Novgorod Kremlin...
Tourist office here is very good, English spoken, they even managed to get my train ticket changed with very little difficulty...
Beer/Food tip...'The Beerhouse' on Ul. Lyudogoshcha serves good drink and snacks in a convibial setting...ideal for football, I watched the Champion's League final here amidst a very partisan and friendly local crowd...also decent make-shift bar on the bridge in the middle of town...
Night Train...Novgorod - Moscow...20.50 - 04.54...train *42...cost 568R platzkartney (3rd class)...very good train...
Moscow accom...Napoleon hostel...great location, 5 minutes from Red Square...630R/night...cheerful place run by English ex-pat Richard who knows exactly what he's trying to do here...no breakfast...very secure...free internet...laundry 200R/load...common room doubles as bar at night which means the place can be a bit 'cliquey' as those that are there for several days are inclined to get very comfortable...bit of a party atmosphere, most suitable for 20-somethings...
Capital Tour of Kremlin and Armory...costs 1400R...3 hours...quite expensive but tour-guide Felix was excellent and entertaining and has an exhaustive knowledge of Russian history, art and literature...one thing to bear in mind if you take this tour is that as the tour finishes at the Armory you must vacate the Kremlin complex afterwards...I had intended the tour as a primer to then go back and investigate the place at my own pace but unfortunately this wasn't possible...
Moscow River boat trip...cost 250R (Monday)...very pleasant one and a half hours particularly during the extraordinary heat wave of 10 days ago...I think the week and week-end price are now the same...
Food Tip...'My-My'...pronouned Moo-Moo...great restaurant deal here....you can pick your own meals from those displayed and get stuffed (literally)for 300R...tasteful suroundings too...the place where Russians go to treat themselves...approx 20 outlets all over the city...
Night Train...Moscow - Pskov...20.10 - 08.30...cost 493R...high-numbered train...also lower number leaving at 19.35, presumably dearer...
Pskov accom...Komnaty Otdykhy (Station rest-room)...cost 350R for 24 hours, a great deal...had to show a train ticket but the one I arrived on was acceptable, not sure if that was a mistake or not but I got in...very high standard with en-suite...had to share with one other person...best room I had on this trip...lock-out however between 23.00 and 06.00.
Food tip...Cafe Gorenka on ul. Oktyabrsky...good place to fill up with pizza, great cakes and coffee..ate here for less that 120R...
Eurolines Night bus...Pskov - Riga...740R...2 buses at 00.05 and 00.35...journey approx 7 hours...
To conclude...I got my visa support from/through WaytoRussia.net...very efficient 24 hour service...cost 30USD...registered twice in St and Nov...stayed over 2 business days in Moscow but no trouble on the way out...
Most pleasant surprise... travelling platzkartney...in both cases the carriage was full of ordinary decent Russian families going about thei business...2 Russian girls told me they always travel this way and feel safer than Kupe...great way to meet people...bring some beer or wine...
Last Word...beware of lousy service at every turn...concept of the customer doen't exist as we know it...give yourself plenty of time for even the simplest transaction...I found shouting back in English at those who shouted at me actually worked and got me a proper hearing some of the time...